Safety lockout ignition system

ABSTRACT

An ignition switch for a powerboat having an ignition terminal connected to blowers for exhausting the engine compartment of fumes and to time-delay relays in series, in turn connected to a latching relay between a battery and an engine, and between the start terminal of the ignition switch and a starter, to prevent the engine from being started until the blowers have operated a preselected time duration to clear the engine compartment of dangerous fumes which might have collected therein. A control latching relay energized by the starter energizes a shutoff timedelay relay after a second predetermined time duration from starting, to open the normally closed contacts of a shutoff latching relay halting the operation of the blowers after the blowers have cleared the engine compartment of any fumes that might have accumulated therein during the starting of the engine.

United States Patent 72] Inventor Andrew C. E n 3,322,470 /1967MacDonald... 303/19 10832 Chamock Road, L05 g l Calif- 3,465,665 9/1969ODay et al. 98/1 90034 3,489,912 1/1970 Hoffman 114/211 X l8 [21] P No865l Primary ExaminerMilton Buchler [22] Filed Oct. 9, 1969 [45]Patented Aug 17 1971 Assistant Exammer--Gregory W. O ConnorAtrneyMiketta, Glenny Poms & Smith 5 SAFETY LOCKOUT IGNITION SYSTEMAFSTRACT: An ignition switch for a powerboat having an ig- 7Chims 1Drawing n tion terminal connected to blowers for exhausting the enginecompartment of fumes and to time-delay relays in series, [52] [1.3. CI114/211, in mm connected to a latching relay between a battery and an307/9 307/116 engine, and between the start terminal of the ignitionswitch [51] II!!- C] B63] d a staner, t prevent h engine f b i t t d til[50] Fleld of Search 1 14/21 1; the blowers have operated a preselectedtime duration to clear 115/05 R; 123/179 A; 307/141.8,9, 10, 293 219;the engine compartment of dangerous fumes which might 317/141 R; 303/19have collected therein. A control latching relay energized by thestarter energizes a shutoff time-delay relay after a second [56] IReferences Cited predetermined time duration from starting, to open thenor- UNITED STATES PATENTS mally closed contacts of a shutoff latchingrelay halting the 2,526,446 10/1950 Zurit et a1. 1 /05 X operation ofthe blowers after the blowers have cleared the en- 3,292,568 12/1966Morrell 115/0.5 gine compartment of any fumes that might haveaccumulated 3,315,584 4/1967 Van Rinst 1 14/21 1 X therein during thestarting ofthe engine.

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SAFETY LOCKOUT IGNITION SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates to ignition systems and more particularly to a safetylockout ignition system for preventing explosions in the enginecompartments of vehicles such as powerboats.

In vehicles powered by combustion engines and particularly in boatspowered by such engines, there is always the danger of fire andexplosion from the accumulation of gasoline or other combustible vaporsfrom the engine. This danger is particularly present in vehicles such aspowerboats where the engine compartment containing the engine is usuallyclosed and located in the lowest part of the boat. In these closedcompartments, an explosive mixture of gasoline, diesel or other fumescan accumulate due to leaks in fuel lines, leaks in fuel tanks orevaporation of gasoline from the carburetor. With the engine compartmentclosed, these fumes are trapped until a spark is provided to ignite suchfumes. In the starting of the engine, electricity must be supplied tothe ignition coil, the distributor points of the engine, and to thebrushes of the starter motor all of which may produce sparking duringoperation thereof which may ignite any combustible fumes in the enginecompartment to cause a fire or explosion.

Because of the danger of such tires or explosions, the enginecompartments of powerboats are conventionally provided with blowers forexhausting any combustible fumes therein before an attempt is made tostart the engine. These blowers may be electrically driven but need notthemselves be within the engine compartment as long as they are in fluidcommunication therewith so that the blower motors do not present theproblem of sparking found in the starter and the engine.

Conventionally, a separate blower switch is provided to energize theblower and a warning plate is put over the ignition switch, statingCAUTION, Before starting engines turn on blowers for five (5) minutes."The plate reminds the operator to run the blowers for 5 minutes toremove any fumes that might be contained in the engine compartmentbefore attempting to start the engine. Conventionally, no lockout deviceis provided between the blower switch and the ignition switch so thatthe boat operator is free to disregard this warning if he so desires andstart the engine without ever having operated the blowers to clear theengine compartment of fumes. If the operator is so careless as to followsuch a course, the spark created while starting the engine may cause theaccumulated combustible fumes in the closed engine compartment to igniteand explode completely destroying the boat and surely seriously injuringthose aboard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a primary object of thisinvention to provide a safety ignition system which automaticallyenergizes the engine compartment blower for a selected predeterminedtime duration before the operator can energize and start the engine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel way of eliminatingany possibility of explosion due to the energizing of either the engineor the starter by the operator before the blower has cleared the enginecompartment of any combustible fumes therein.

It is another object of this invention to provide a safety ignitionsystem where the energized blower continues to operate for a secondpredetermined time duration after the engine has been started to clearthe engine compartment of any fumes accumulated during starting and toprevent the accumulation thereof.

Other and additional objects of this invention are to provide a safetyignition system including an electrical time-delay switch means whichdelays the energizing of the engine and of the starter for a selectedpredetermined time duration while blowers clear the engine compartmentof any combustible fumes, to provide a time-delay unit not easilycorroded by salt water, to provide a time-delay unit made up of amultiplicity of time-delay relays connected in a series so that thefailure of one time-delay relay does not eliminate the predeterminedtime duration completely but only shortens it, to provide indicatingmeans indicating that the blowers and engine are energized, to provide asafety ignition system which upon being moved to the off position cannotstart the engine until after the blowers have been energized for theselected predetermined time duration, to provide a safety ignitionsystem which may be used with multiple ignition switches and multipleengines, to provide a safety ignition system which is readily adaptableto be used with existing ignition switches and existing engines andstarters in a powerboat, and to provide a safety ignition system whichcannot be defeated by the operator of a powerboat to start the engineuntil after the engine compartment blower has been energized for apreselected time duration to remove any combustible fumes in thecompartment.

Generally, the safety ignition lockout system of the present inventionis adapted for use in a boat having an engine compartment housing anengine and an electric starter, the compartment being vented by anelectrically controlled blower for removing combustible fumes from thecompartment, and includes an ignition switch electrically connected toblowers and to an electrical time-delay switch means, delaying theenergizing of the engine and the starter until the blower has beenenergized a preselected time duration, to clear the engine compartmentof any possible combustible fumes therein. The safety ignition systemalso includes a shutoff electrical timedelay switch means permitting theblower to continue operating for a second preselected time durationafter starting the engine to clear the engine compartment of any fumesthat might accumulate from the engine during starting thereof before theswitch means shuts off the blowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The FIGURE shows an exemplary schematicdiagram for the safety lockout ignition system of this invention for usewith a vehicle such as a powerboat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The safety lockout ignition system according tothis invention is for use with a vehicle such as a power boat and isgenerally indicated at 10. The preferred embodiment of the safetylockout ignition system 10 is shown in the FIGURE for use with a vehiclehaving a dual-engine drive. However, this ignition system 10 may be usedwith a single engine or three or more engines by the provision ofsuitable diodes as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Referring to the FIGURE, the safety lockout ignition system 10 includesa first engine 11 and a second engine 12, and first and secondelectrically operated starters, 13 and 14, for the engines 11 and 12,respectively. The engines 11 and 112 are located in an enginecompartment of a vehicle such as a powerboat which will normally beclosed. The engine compartmentis provided with electrically controlledblowers 115 for exhausting the fumes that might collect in the enginecompartment out into the open air. Normally, the blowers 15 will bedriven by electric motors and if so, the blowers 15 should not belocated in the engine compartment as sparks from the electric motorsmight ignite thetfumes in the compartment. It is sufficient that theblowers be in fluid communication with the compartment to exhaust thefumes therein.

A first multiposition ignition switch 16 is shown schematically on theFIGURE and has, a common terminal 17, an 0N terminal 18, and a STARTterminal 19. A second multiposition ignition switch 20 is likewise shownschematically in the FIGURE and also includes a common terminal 21, anON terminal 22, and a START terminal 23. The ignition switches l6 and 20are conventional three-position key-controlled switches with an OFFposition, an ON position and a START position. When ignition switch 16is moved to the ON position, the contacts 17, 18 are closed and when theswitch is moved to the START position, the contacts 17, 19 areadditionally closed providing a conduction path from the power source tothe relay contacts 55; when switch 20 is moved to the ON position, thecontacts 21, 22 are closed and remained closed when the switch is movedto the START position whereupon contacts 21, 23 will close to provide acurrent to relay contacts 60, and, when such contacts are closed, tostarter 14. The switches 16 and 20 may also be conventional two-positionkey-controlled switches with OFF and ON positions and a separatepushbutton or similar switch for starting. Either type of ignitionswitch has an ON position and a START position and acommon terminal andthese terms as used herein refer to both types of switches.

A battery 25 has one pole 26, arbitrarily picked as the positive polethereof, connected to the common terminal of the ignition switches, 16and 20, and the other or negative pole 27 thereof conventionallygrounded to the engines 1 1 and 12, the starters 13 and 14 and theblowers 15.

The safety ignition system has an electrical time-delay switch meansindicated generally at 35 for delaying the energizing of the engines 1 1and 12 and delaying the energizing of the starters 13 and 14, for apreselected time while the blowers are energized to clear the enginecompartment of any combustible fumes that might have accumulatedtherein. The safety lockout ignition system 10 also includes shutoffelectrical time-delay switch means 75 which, in response to energizingeither of the starters 13 or 14, shuts off the blowers 15 and part ofthe electrical time-delay switch means 35 after a second preselectedtime duration so as to clear the engine compartment of any fumes thatmight have accumulated therein during starting.

Referring now specifically to the circuit shown in the FIGURE, the ONterminals 18 and 22 of the ignition switches 16 and are each connectedto the anode of ignition diodes 30 and 31, respectively. The cathode ofthe ignition diodes 30 and 31 are connected to the positive side of theblowers 15. Thus, moving either ignition switch 16 or 20 to the ONposition will energize the blowers 15 to remove any combustible fumesfrom the engine compartment. The diodes 30 and 31 permit each ignitionswitch to function independently of the other.

The electrical time-delay switch means 35 includes a timedelay unit andan energizing latching relay 50. The timedelay unit 40 provides a timedelay of 6 minutes between the moment-of energizing of the blowers 15and the energizing of the latching relay 50. The time-delay unit 40 maybe made up of a single time-delay relay but is preferably made up ofthree time-delay relays 41, 43 and 45, respectively. conventionally, thetime of delay recommended for clearing the engine compartment is 5minutes so that if each relay 41, 43 and had a duration of 2 minutes,the total duration would be 6 minutes, which is more than ample time toclear the engine compartment of fumes.

The individual time-delay relays are of conventional design and may besolid-state time-delay relays. As an alternative to using solid-statethe delay relays, thermal delay relays, timing motor switches,solid-state latching circuits, etc. could be used but the solid-statedevices would have the advantage of resistance to salt water corrosionnot found in mechanical latching devices.

The first time-delay relay 41 is connected from the cathode side of thediodes 30 and 31 to the ground pole 27 of the battery 25. The firsttime-delay relay 41 has contacts 42 with contact 420 connected to thecathode of the ignition diodes 30 and 31, and the other contact 42bconnected through the second time-delay relay 43 to the ground pole 27of the battery 25. The second time-delay relay 43 has contacts 44 withcontact 44a connected to the cathode of the ignition diodes 30 and 31and the other contact 44b connected through the third time-delay relay45 to the ground pole 27 of the battery .25

The third time-delay relay 45 has contacts 46 with contact 46b connectedto the ground pole 27 of the battery 25, and contact 46a connected tothe ground side of the energizing latching relay 50. The time-delayrelays 41, 43 and 45 are thus connected in series so that theirindividual time-delay duration is additive. The use of three time-delayrelays in series rather than using one 6-minute time-delay relay lies inthe safety feature that if one of the three time-delay relays 41, 43 or45 should fail and switch instantaneously, the other two may functionproperly giving a time delay of at least 4 minutes for the blower toexhaust the engine compartment, which should be sufficient, until thedefective time-delay relay can be replaced to give the full 6 minutes.

The energizing latching relay 50 includes a first latching relay 51 anda second latching relay 56 for the first and second engines 11 and 12and the first and second starters 13 and 14, respectively. If only oneengine and one starter were provided, there would be needed only onelatching relay and if three were provided, three latching relays wouldbe required etc.

Latching relay 51 has a coil 52 and latching relay 52 has a coil 57,both of which have the ground side thereof connected to the contact 46aof time-delay relay 45. The first and second latching relays also havelatching contacts 53 and 58, respectively, in parallel with the contacts46 of the third time-delay relay 45, between the ground side of thecoils 52 and 57 and the ground pole 27 of the battery 25. The other sideof the coils 52 and 57 are connected to the ON terminals 18 and 22,respectively, of ignition switches 16 and 21) so that upon the closingof the contacts 46 by the third time-delay relay 45 current will flowthrough the coils 52 and 57. As current passes through the coils 52 and57 the latching contacts 53 and 58 close to maintain the flow of currentto the coils 52 and 57 even though the contacts 46 later open.

The latching relays 51 and 56 also contain ignition contacts 54 and 59between the positive pole 26 of the battery 25 and the ignition coils ofthe engines 11 and 12, and start contacts 55 and 66 between the STARTterminals 19 and 23 of the ignition switches 16 and 20 and the starters,13 and 14, respectively. As current passes through the coils 52 and 57,these coils, besides closing the latching contacts 53 and 58, also closethe ignition contacts 54 and 59, and start contacts 55 and 60. Theignition coils of the engines 11 and 12 are therefore energized and thecircuit between the START terminals 19 and 23 and the starters, 13 and14, is closed. Movement of the ignition switches 16 and 20 to the STARTposition after the start circuit is closed permits starters 13 and 14 tostart the engines 11 and 12. Each ignition switch 16 and 20 will startonly its engine 11 or 12 allowing each engine to run independently orboth engines to be run together.

In order to indicate that the engine is energized and ready to bestarted, indicating lights 65 and 66 are provided in parallel with theengines 11 and 12, respectively. The lights 65 and 66 will operate onlywhen the ignition contacts 54 and 59 are close, indicating that theengines are energized and ready to be started so that the operator canmove the ignition switches 16 and 20 to the START positions as desired.

Also, if desired, an indicating light 68 may be provided in a parallelwith the blowers 15 to indicate that the blowers 15 are energized.

Starters 13 and 14 are each connected to the anode of a start diode 70and 71, respectively. The cathodes of the start diodes 70 and 71 areconnected to the shutoff electrical timedelay switch means 75. Again thepurpose of diodes 70 and 71 is to permit each ignition switch tofunction independently of the others.

The shutoff electrical time-delay switch means 75 includes a controllatching relay 80, a shutofi time-delay relay 85 and a shutoff latchingrelay 90.

The control latching relay has one side of its coil 81 connected to thecathode of the start diodes 70 and 71 and the other side thereofconnected to the ground pole 27 of the battery 25. The control latchingrelay 80 has latching contacts 82 with contact 82a connected to theblowers 15 and contact 8212 connected to the one side of coil 81. Thecontrol latching relay 80 also has control contacts 83 with contact 83aconnected to the blowers and contact 8311 connected to the shutofftime-delay relay 85. Upon energizing of either starter 13 or 14, thestart diodes 70 and 71 pass current through the coil 81 of the controllatching relay 80 to close latching contacts 82 and control contacts 83.The latching contacts 82 continue the flow of current through coil 81 tomaintain the control contacts 83 closed although both the starters 13and 14 are later shut off.

The shutoff time-delay relay 85 has one side connected to controlcontact 83b and the other side thereof connected to the ground pole 27of the battery 25. The shutoff time-delay relay has contacts 86 withcontact 86b connected to the ground pole 27 of the battery and contact86a connected to the shutoff latching relay 90. The shutoff time-delayrelay 85 is similar to the time-delay relays 31, 33, or 35 and may havea second preselected time delay, such as 2 minutes. If the shutofftime-delay relay has a preselected time duration of 2 minutes, then 2minutes after the control contacts 63 are closed, the shutoff time-delayrelay 35 closes the contacts 86 to energize the shutoff latching relay90.

The shutoff latching relay 90 has a coil 91 connected between thecontact 86a of the shutoff time-delay relay 85 and the cathode of theignition diodes 30 and 31. The shutoff latching relay has latchingcontacts 92 in parallel with contacts 86 and normally closed shutoffcontacts 93, with contacts 93 in the circuit between the cathode of theignition diodes 30 and 31, and the blowers 15. The shutoff latchingrelay 90 is energized by the closing of contacts 86 to pass currentthrough coil 91 closing latching contact 92 to maintain the current flowthrough the coil 91 and to open the normally closed shutoff contact 93interrupting the circuit between the ignition switches 16 and 20(through the ignition diodes and 31) and the blowers 15 as well asbetween part of the electrical time-delay switch means 35, i.e., thetime-delay unit 40, allowing the time-delay unit 46 to return to normal.The opening of the normally closed shutoff contact 93 also deenergizesthe control latching relay 80 and the shutoff time-delay relay 85 toreturn the contacts therein to their normally open position. The engines11 and 12 continue to run because the first and second latching relays51 and 56 continue to have current flowing through their coils 52 and57, which continues to hold the ignition contacts 54 and 59 and startcontacts 55 and 60 closed.

The engines will continue to run until the ignition switches 16 or 20are moved from the ON position to the OFF position, opening all of thecircuits and returning all of the contacts to their normal positions.Once the ignition switches 16 and 20 have been moved to the OFFposition, the engines 11 and 12 and the starters l3 and 14 cannot bereenergized without wait-- ing the preselected time duration after theblowers 15 at energized as is provided by the safety ignition system 10.

In operation, the powerboat operator unlocks the ignition switches 16and 20. The operator may then turn one or both of the ignition switches16 or 20 to the ON position, energizing the blowers 15 and theblower-indicating light 68, and energizing the electrical time-delayswitch means 35.

The energizing of the electrical time-delay switch means actuallyenergizes the first time-delay relay 41 of the timedelay unit 40. Afterthe proper delay, the first time-delay relay 41 energizes the secondtime-delay relay 43 which after the proper delay energizes the thirdtime-delay relay 45. The third time-delay relay 45 after the properdelay energizes, for example, latching relay 51 '(assuming only switch16 has been turned to the ON position) to energize the engines 11 andthe indicating light 55 which corresponds to the ignition switch 16which is closed. The energizing of the latching relay 51 also closes therespective circuit between the start terminal 19 and the starter 13.

The energizing of the light 65 informs the operator that the blowers 15have operated for the preselected time duration, such as 6 minutes, toclear the engine compartment of any combustible fumes that might haveaccumulated therein, and informs him that he is now free to start theengine 11. if only the ignition switch 16 is on, that switch may bemoved to the START position to start engine 11. However, the otherswitch 20 may be moved to the ON position and to the START positionimmediately energizing and starting the engine 12 without delay as thelatching relay 56 closes automatically upon the subsequent movement ofthe switch 211 to the ON position.

The operator may now move either or both ignition switches 16 or 20 tothe start position to energize the respective starters 13 and 14 tostart the respective engines 11 and 12. The energizing of either starter13 or M by the operator, energizes the shutoff electrical time-delayswitch means 75. The energizing of the electrical time-delay switchmeans 75 actually energizes the control latching relay 811 to energizeshutoff latching relay 85. The control latching relay 1311 after oncebeing energized, maintains the shutoff time-delay relay energizedalthough the respective engines 11 or 12 have been started and theoperator has moved the respective ignition switch 16 or 211 to the STARTposition back to the ON position.

After the second preselected time duration of 2 minutes, the shutofftime-delay relay 85 energizes shutoff latching relay 91) which opensnormally closed shutoff contacts 93 to shutoff the blower 15 and theblower light 611. The extinguishing of blower light 68 tells theoperator that the engine compartment is free of any combustible fumesthat might have accumulated therein during starting, and that theblowers 15 have been shut off.

The opening of normally closed shutoff contact 93 also deenergizes thetime-delay unit 40 including time-delay relays 41, 43 and 45, thecontrol latching relays 80, and the shutoff time-delay relay 85,permitting them to return to the deenergized state while the engines arerunning, to prolong their life.

The energizing latching relays 5t), i.e., first and second latchingrelays 51 and 56, maintain the engines 11 and 12 energized and closesthe circuit between the start terminals 19 and 23 and the respectivestarters 12 and 13 as long as the respective ignition switch 16 or 20 isin the ON or START positions. This feature permits the operator, if anengine dies of if only one engine has been started, and the operatordesires to start the other engine, to start it without delay of thesafety ignition system 111. This feature also allows one engine to beshut off and restarted as needed to conserve fuel, or to alternate whichengine is being run, as long as at least one engine is being run at alltimes.

When the operator desires to shut off the engines in the boat, he movesboth ignition switches 16 and 211 to the off position, shutting off theengines 11 and 12. The movement of both ignition switches 16 and 211 tothe off position deenergizes the energizing latching relays 511, i.e.,latching relays 51 and 56 to open the ignition circuits, and deenergizesthe shutoff latching relay, returning the contacts 93 to the normallyclosed position so as to require that any subsequent attempts to startthe engines 11 or 12 will utilize the safety ignition system 10.

Thus, the safety ignition system according to this inventionautomatically energizes the blowers to clear the engine compartment offumes while preventing the energizing of the engine or the starter for apreselected time duration thereafter to prevent any possibility of anexplosion due to the presence of combustible fumes in the enginecompartment, and continues the blowers operating for a secondpreselected time duration after the starting of the engines to clear theengine compartment of any fumes that might collect therein duringstarting.

1 claim:

1. in a safety ignition lockout system for use in a powerboat, the boathaving an engine compartment housing an engine, and an electric starter,said compartment being vented by an electrically controlled and drivenblower, the ignition system including a battery, and an ON-OFF-STAlRTmultiposition ignition switch with the common terminal thereof connectedto one pole ofa battery, and the engine, electric starter andelectrically driven blower connected to the other pole thereof, theimprovement comprising:

time-delay switch means connected between said ignition switch and saidengine, said electrical starter and said blower; said time-delay switchmeans permitting said electrical blower to be energized by said batterywhen said ignition switch is moved from the OFF to the ON position, andpreventing said starter and said engine from being energized for apreselected time duration, said blower being energized for a period atleast equal to said preselected time duration to remove combustiblefumes from the engine compartment before the engine is energizedandbefore the electrical starter is energized to start the engine andshutoff electrical time-delay switch means to shut off said blower uponexpiration of a second preselected time duration after said engine isstarted.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said electrical timedelay switchmeans includes a plurality of time-delay relays connected in cascade,said time-delay relays having a timedelay duration which together equalsthe preselected time duration, whereby the failure of one of saidtime-delay relays shortens but does not eliminate the preselected timeduration.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said engine compartment housingincludes an additional engine and electric starter within the samecompartment and vented by said electrically controlled and drivenblower, and said ignition system includes a second ON-OFF-STARTmultiposition ignition switch for said second engine connected to saidone battery pole and said engine, electric starter and electricallydriven blower connected to the other pole thereof, said ignition systemincluding means including a second time-delay switch means andadditionally including means permitting immediate energizing of saidsecond engine and electrical starter when the time-delay switch meansfor said first engine and starter has closed the ignition contacts andstart contacts for said first engine although said second multipositionswitch was not simultaneously moved to the ON position at the time saidfirst engine multiposition switch was moved to the ON or START position.

4. In a safety lockout ignition system for use in a powerboat, the boathaving an engine compartment housing an engine, an electric starter andan inlet of an electrically controlled and driven blower for removingcombustible fumes from the compartment, the ignition system including abattery and an OFF- ON-START multiposition ignition switch connected toone pole of the battery, and the engine, electric starter, andelectrically driven blower connected to the other pole of the battery,the improvement comprising:

electrical time-delay switch means connected between the ON position ofthe ignition switch and the other pole of the battery, said electricaltime-delay switch means including normally open ignition contactsbetween the one pole of the battery and the engine, and having normallyopen start contacts between the START position of the ignition switchand the starter, said electrically controlled blower also beingconnected to the ON position of the ignition switch, said electricaltime-delay switch means and said blowerbeing energized by the movementof the ignition switch to the ON or START positions, said normally opencontacts preventing said engine and said starter from being energizedfor a preselected time duration, after being energized, after thepreselected time duration, the electrical time-delay switch meansclosing the ignition contacts to energize the engine, and closing thestart contacts to permit the ignition switch in the START position toenergize the electrical starter and start the engine after the blowerhas removed any combustible fumes from the engine compartment, and saidelectrical time-delay switch means including a time-delay relay unitconnected between the ON position of the ignition switch and the otherpole of the battery, and an energizing latching relay energized by thetime-delay relay unit after being energized for the preselected timeduration, said energizing atchmg relay upon being energized closing saidignition contacts and said start contacts.

5. The improvement as recited in claim 4 wherein the energizing latchingrelay includes latching contacts, said latching contacts maintaining thelatching relay energized so as to maintain the ignition contacts and thestart contacts closed until the ignition switch is moved to the OFFposition.

6. The improvement of claim 4 additionally comprising shutoff electricaltime-delay switch means including:

a control latching relay in parallel with said starter and energized asthe starter is energized,

a shutoff time-delay relay energized and maintained energized by thecontrol latching relay although the starter is shut off, and,

a shutoff latching relay energized by the shutoff time-delay relay apreselected time duration after the shutoff timedelay relay isenergized, said shutoff latching relay being maintained energized andshutting off the time-delay unit, the control latching relay, theshutoff time-delay relay and the blowers as the engine runs after theblowers have cleared the engine compartment of any combustible fumesthat might have accumulated therein during starting, said shutofflatching relay being deenergized by movement of the ignition switch tothe OFF position.

7. The system as in claim 6 wherein two engines with respective startersand ignition switches are provided, each of said ignition switches beingprovided with a diode between the ON position thereof and the blowersand a respective ignition latching means is provided for each existingswitch with a respective diode between the respective ignition latchingrelay and the control latching relay to permit a respective ignitionswitch to energize and start the respective engine independently of theother engine and still operate the safety ignition system.

1. In a safety ignition lockout system for use in a powerboat, the boathaving an engine compartment housing an engine, and an electric starter,said compartment being vented by an electrically controlled and drivenblower, the ignition system including a battery, and an ON-OFF-STARTmultiposition ignition switch with the common terminal thereof connectedto one pole of a battery, and the engine, electric starter andelectrically driven blower connected to the other pole thereof, theimprovement comprising: time-delay switch means connected between saidignition switch and said engine, said electrical starter and saidblower; said time-delay switch means permitting said electrical blowerto be energized by said battery when said ignition switch is moved fromthe OFF to the ON position, and preventing said starter and said enginefrom being energized for a preselected time duration, said blower beingenergized for a period at least equal to said preselected time durationto remove combustible fumes from the engine compartment before theengine is energized and before the electrical starter is energized tostart the engine and shutoff electrical time-delay switch means to shutoff said blower upon expiration of a second preselected time durationafter said engine is started.
 2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein saidelectrical time-delay switch means includes a plurality of time-delayrelays connected in cascade, said time-delay relays having a time-delayduration which together equals the preselected time duration, wherebythe failure of one of said time-delay relays shortens but does noteliminate the preselected time duration.
 3. The improvement of claim 1wherein said engine compartment housing includes an additional engineand electric starter within the same compartment and vented by saidelectricallY controlled and driven blower, and said ignition systemincludes a second ON-OFF-START multiposition ignition switch for saidsecond engine connected to said one battery pole and said engine,electric starter and electrically driven blower connected to the otherpole thereof, said ignition system including means including a secondtime-delay switch means and additionally including means permittingimmediate energizing of said second engine and electrical starter whenthe time-delay switch means for said first engine and starter has closedthe ignition contacts and start contacts for said first engine althoughsaid second multiposition switch was not simultaneously moved to the ONposition at the time said first engine multiposition switch was moved tothe ON or START position.
 4. In a safety lockout ignition system for usein a powerboat, the boat having an engine compartment housing an engine,an electric starter and an inlet of an electrically controlled anddriven blower for removing combustible fumes from the compartment, theignition system including a battery and an OFF-ON-START multipositionignition switch connected to one pole of the battery, and the engine,electric starter, and electrically driven blower connected to the otherpole of the battery, the improvement comprising: electrical time-delayswitch means connected between the ON position of the ignition switchand the other pole of the battery, said electrical time-delay switchmeans including normally open ignition contacts between the one pole ofthe battery and the engine, and having normally open start contactsbetween the START position of the ignition switch and the starter, saidelectrically controlled blower also being connected to the ON positionof the ignition switch, said electrical time-delay switch means and saidblower being energized by the movement of the ignition switch to the ONor START positions, said normally open contacts preventing said engineand said starter from being energized for a preselected time duration,after being energized, after the preselected time duration, theelectrical time-delay switch means closing the ignition contacts toenergize the engine, and closing the start contacts to permit theignition switch in the START position to energize the electrical starterand start the engine after the blower has removed any combustible fumesfrom the engine compartment, and said electrical time-delay switch meansincluding a time-delay relay unit connected between the ON position ofthe ignition switch and the other pole of the battery, and an energizinglatching relay energized by the time-delay relay unit after beingenergized for the preselected time duration, said energizing latchingrelay upon being energized closing said ignition contacts and said startcontacts.
 5. The improvement as recited in claim 4 wherein theenergizing latching relay includes latching contacts, said latchingcontacts maintaining the latching relay energized so as to maintain theignition contacts and the start contacts closed until the ignitionswitch is moved to the OFF position.
 6. The improvement of claim 4additionally comprising shutoff electrical time-delay switch meansincluding: a control latching relay in parallel with said starter andenergized as the starter is energized, a shutoff time-delay relayenergized and maintained energized by the control latching relayalthough the starter is shut off, and, a shutoff latching relayenergized by the shutoff time-delay relay a preselected time durationafter the shutoff time-delay relay is energized, said shutoff latchingrelay being maintained energized and shutting off the time-delay unit,the control latching relay, the shutoff time-delay relay and the blowersas the engine runs after the blowers have cleared the engine compartmentof any combustible fumes that might have accumulated therein duringstarting, said shutoff latching relay being deenergized by movement ofthe ignition Switch to the OFF position.
 7. The system as in claim 6wherein two engines with respective starters and ignition switches areprovided, each of said ignition switches being provided with a diodebetween the ON position thereof and the blowers and a respectiveignition latching means is provided for each existing switch with arespective diode between the respective ignition latching relay and thecontrol latching relay to permit a respective ignition switch toenergize and start the respective engine independently of the otherengine and still operate the safety ignition system.